Brotherly Love
by Proforce
Summary: Story 6. It's common knowledge that Chip and Dale have been friends for a long time, but what if that weren't entirely true? And when a ghost from the past forces them to reveal the truth, what repercussions will it have on the Rangers? R&R please.


"Brotherly Love"  
Authors: Robert Brown and Francis Tolbert  
  
Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Disney   
(except where noted, in which case they were created and   
copyrighted by us or by another and we have permission to use   
them). The authors hereby give permission for this story to be   
downloaded and/or printed at 1 copy per user as long as (1) no   
changes to the story are made without our express written(not   
e-mailed) permission and (2) no attempt is made to profit from   
this story. If either or both rules are violated, it will be   
considered a violation of copyright law.  
  
Author's Note: OK guys, this Note isn't going to be that long. I had to raise  
the rating of this one to PG-13 because of the violence and dark tones in it.   
Now, this won't be a regular occurrence in our stories because, frankly, it's   
hard to write about characters we love in situations like this. The payoff,   
as always, will be worth it. We hope. If you feel we went overboard or that  
anything was completely unnecessary, either leave a review if you're reading  
this on ff.net or drop us an email at either my address (ProforcePF@aol.com)  
or Francis' (AstralFrankie@aol.com). Till next time guys, Happy Reading.  
  
Cast of Characters(in order of appearance)  
Dale  
Foxglove  
Harold***  
Chip  
Gadget  
Monterey Jack  
Zipper  
  
#6  
  
Sunset. A time of both ending and beginning. Symbolic for these   
reasons for countless centuries, it has become a time to be both feared and  
welcomed. And so this time finds two animals walking home after an early  
date, completely unaware of just what it is that will be ending...and what  
will be beginning.  
Dale and Foxglove walked inside Central Park quietly after spending the   
entire afternoon together, something hard to do in a tree shared with four   
other animals, even if one of them was as small as a fly. "I really enjoyed   
today Dale," Foxglove said, wrapping her wing around Dale's arm as they   
walked.   
"Me too Foxy," Dale said, pulling his arm from her grasp only to put it  
around her shoulders and hold her close against him. "We need to do this more  
often."  
"Yeah, when we can find a break from being Rescue Rangers," Foxglove  
pointed out. "As it is, we gotta give Chip and Gadget a day like this to make  
up for letting us out of our duties."  
"Well, there is that inventor's thing coming up soon. I'm sure Chip   
would love to take her there. That is, if he trusts us enough to run things  
without him."  
"Oh Dale," Foxglove said, shaking her head before kissing his shoulder  
softly. She was about to say something but stopped as unusual sounds reached  
her sensitive ears. "Hey Dale, do you hear that?"  
"Hear what?" Dale asked, scratching his head. "I don't hear as well as  
you do."  
"Shh," Foxglove said, listening carefully. "Sounds like an argument   
over there. Seems like it's getting pretty heated too."  
"Think we should check it out?"  
"Yeah, maybe we can stop it before it gets any worse than it is."  
Dale nodded and they hurried off in the direction Foxglove indicated.   
Pretty soon Dale could hear the arguing, but what he was hearing made him wish  
he couldn't. Two teenage squirrels were in the middle of the argument which  
had already escalated into a shoving match. "Hey you two, break it up!" Dale  
said, sprinting ahead to get between them.  
"Be careful Dale," Foxglove warned, unable to keep up on the ground.   
She spread her wings in preparation of takeoff, but a large hand clamped over  
her face, startling her.  
"Be thankful I'm not going to let you watch this," was the only thing  
Foxglove heard before she was hurled through the air. She didn't even have   
enough time to brace before hitting a nearby tree headfirst and collapsing to  
the ground with a sickening thunk, completely unconscious.  
Dale had stopped the argument just in time to hear his girlfriend   
hitting the ground. "Foxy!" Dale yelled as he turned around only to freeze  
in terror at what, or rather who, was before him. He didn't even take notice  
of the two squirrels running off as his eyes widened in fright and disbelief.  
He couldn't run, he couldn't prepare himself for what he knew was coming. All  
he could do was utter a single name. "Harold."  
Nearby, inside Ranger Headquarters, the rest of the Rescue Rangers were  
setting up for dinner. "Do you think Dale and Foxy are going to make it home  
in time?" Chip asked, looking out the window at the twilight sky.  
"I think so Chip," Gadget said, giving his a quick hug from behind.   
"After all, it's not like Dale to miss meals."  
"Too right," Monterey said, stirring a thick substance within the pot he  
was cooking in. "Even though I'd rather be cooking my special cheese chowder,  
I'm making this soup especially for them. It's one of Foxglove's special   
recipes."  
Gadget smirked a little at that. So far, everything Foxglove had cooked  
had been good, but it never smelled that way until it was done. Most of the   
time Foxglove never let them know just what was in her recipes, but if   
Monterey was cooking one, it must not be anything weird.  
A loud scream of pain made them all start in surprise. But Chip's   
surprise turned quickly turned to fear as he recognized the voice. "That's   
Dale!" he yelled, running outside and toward the source of the scream. The  
others quickly followed, though only Zipper had enough sense to go back and  
turn off the stove before they had no tree to return to.  
Chip was first to arrive at the scene with the other Rangers close   
behind. "Dale!" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth to make his   
voice louder. "Where are you?"  
"Chip, I found Foxglove," Gadget said, kneeling down next to the bat.  
"She's out cold, and she's hurt pretty bad."  
Chip started to scamper over, but then his eyes caught sight of   
something in the bushes nearby. "No," he whispered, pushing the leaves out  
of the way. What he saw made him gasp in shock. It was Dale, that he could  
tell from the red nose and the shirt. But if it weren't for that, there was  
no way he could've told who it was. His face was badly bruised and battered,  
even appearing to be broken in some places. Much of his fur was matted down  
with blood, and Chip had the sickening sensation that it was mostly, if not  
completely, Dale's. One of his leg was bent at an odd angle, likely broken   
but definitely at least sprained. But though his breathing was ragged and  
labored, if nothing else he was still breathing.  
"Crikey," Monterey whispered as he came up behind Chip. "Who could've  
done this to me poor pally?"  
Chip's mind detached from his emotions as he considered the   
possibilities. This wasn't Fat Cat's handiwork, he'd rather have eaten Dale  
than just beat him up. Rat Capone was a possibility, but he wouldn't have  
just left Dale there. No, this was a personal grudge, and for the life of  
him, Chip couldn't....  
Then his eyes fell on something. It was a small ring, fit for a rodent-  
sized finger, and cast in the shape of a coiled snake. Chip felt the bile  
rise up in his throat as soon as he saw it. Only one mouse could've dropped  
that ring, and Chip had prayed long and hard that he'd never see that mouse  
again. Apparently, his prayers were not answered.  
"Chip, snap out of it," Gadget said, shaking him. "We need to get them  
to the hospital, and quickly."  
"He found us Gadget," Chip whispered, his eyes still focused on the  
ring. "He finally found us!"  
"Who found you? Never mind, I'll find out later. Go get the Ranger  
Wing while I try to bandage him up with what I have."  
Chip nodded dumbly and ran off. Although he did what he had to without   
any mistakes, the only thing he could see before his eyes was that ring, and   
the face of the mouse that he knew it belonged to.  
Some time later, at a nearby hospital, the Emergency Room was bustling  
as humans were brought in from a subway derailment. Fortunately, no one was  
badly hurt, but it was tending to drive the staff hectic. Little did they   
know that only paces away, in the very walls and crawspaces of their building,  
another hospital staff worked feverishly on a special patient.  
In the waiting room of this hospital, four members of the Rescue Rangers  
waited anxiously for news of their teammates. Monterey and Zipper just talked  
to each other in low voices, neither one liking being in a hospital. Gadget   
sat quietly in an overstuffed beanbag, trying to hold back tears. Chip paced   
the floor, wringing his hands nervously as he made an occasional outburst of  
frustration.  
All eyes turned to the door leading deeper into the hospital as it   
opened. A kindly-looking grey mouse wearing green surgical scrubs stepped   
out, pulling the cap off his head tiredly. Right behind him was Foxglove,   
holding a bag of crushed ice to the back of her head. "How are you feeling?"   
Gadget asked quietly, getting up and helping Foxy over to the beanbag.  
"Like I got hit in the head with a sledgehammer," Foxglove admitted.  
"The doctors say I'm all right, just gotta watch for a concussion."  
"Doctor," Chip began nervously, "how's Dale?"  
The doctor sighed and looked at Chip with a grave expression. "It   
looked worse than it was," he said finally. "We were able to stop the   
bleeding and repair his broken cheek and bandage up his sprained knee, but   
he's lost a lot of blood. Our medical skills just haven't advanced as far as   
the humans have. If we don't find some blood for him soon...."  
"Don't say that," Chip growled. "Dale will make it through this."  
"You don't understand. His blood type is so rare, I've never even had  
a patient before with it. We don't keep it on hand."  
"I know how rare it is. I have the same type after all."  
"How is that possible? The odds of two unrelated chipmunks with the   
same blood type in the same place are astronomical."  
"Whoever said we were unrelated?" Chip said quietly. "Dale is...he's  
my younger brother."  
The other Rangers stared at their leader in shock, not believing that  
they heard him correctly. Chip looked calmly at the doctor, but he felt as if  
a weight had been lifted from his shoulders that he never even knew was there.  
The doctor, on the other hand, grabbed Chip's arm and hauled him through the   
doors. The others stood still for a moment longer, openmouthed, before they   
all rushed through the door to get some answers, even though Foxglove had to   
be helped by Gadget.  
When they found where Chip had been dragged off to, they saw the doctor  
was just starting a machine that he'd hooked up to Chip. "It'll take about   
fifteen minutes to finish taking the blood," he said, setting a timer nearly  
as big as he was. I'll check on your brother to make sure he stays stable  
until you get done."  
Chip nodded at the doctor as he hurried off, then turned and sheepishly  
gazed at the others. "How could you keep something like this from us?"   
Gadget asked, feelings of hurt plain in her voice. "Especially me?"  
"Gadget, it's not what you think," Chip said. "Give me a chance to   
explain."  
"All right," Monterey said, crossing his arms. "But this'd better be  
good."  
Chip closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Dale and I grew up out  
in the Midwest," he began. "It wasn't much, but it was home. We had a school  
of sorts that was taught by a kind old rabbit, I don't remember his name   
anymore though. Anyway, this all began one day after school let out and we  
were on our way home. I think Dale was only nine at the time...."  
  
* * *  
  
"C'mon Chip!" Dale yelled, excited. "Mom's making our favorite tonight  
and I want to get home for it."  
"Always thinking with your stomach," Chip grumbled, but ruffled his  
brother's hair good-naturedly. "All right, all right, I'm coming."  
"Hurry up slowpoke!" Dale said, zipping ahead. But he wasn't watching  
where he was going and ended up crashing into something. "Hey, when did they  
put a wall here?"  
"What did you say runt?" a deep voice demanded.  
Dale looked up into the hard face of the school bully, Harold. The  
mouse towered over the young chipmunk and was nearly twice his size. "Umm,   
hey Harold, sorry about running into you," Dale said, scooting away. "I guess   
I didn't see you there."  
"Don't let it happen again," Harold grumbled, kicking some dirt on Dale  
as he walked by him.  
"Hey, why'd you do that?" Dale spluttered, brushing himself off. "You  
big bully!"  
Harold turned around, his expression dark and frightening. He reached  
for Dale but Chip pulled Dale out of the way at the last second. "Just wait,"  
Harold yelled as they ran away. "I'll get you!"  
"That was close," Chip said, huffing and puffing as they leaned against  
their house door. "Why'd you have to say something?"  
"I'm sorry Chip," Dale said, looking down and sniffling. "Sometimes I  
forget to think before I talk."  
Chip looked down at his brother and his anger melted away. "Don't worry  
about it," he said, pulling Dale into a hug. "I'm sure he'll forget about it   
by tomorrow. He's not that bright ya know."  
Dale chuckled a little bit and managed to smile at his big brother. The  
night passed and neither one mentioned it to their parents. Why work them up  
over something stupid?  
The only thing was, Harold did not forget. The very next day he stalked  
Dale, trying to catch him alone to pound him. But Dale either was never alone  
or managed to slip out of sight just in time. By the end of the day, Harold  
was furious, and that ferocity needed a target. Since he couldn't get Dale,   
he went after the next best thing, his brother.  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't remember much of that beating I took," Chip finished up. "I   
just know I woke up hurting in places I didn't even know I had. When I healed  
up, Mom and Dad moved us to another state, to get away from bad influences   
they said. From that day on, we swore never to let anyone know we were   
brothers. I know, it sounds stupid, but we didn't want to put each other at  
risk if someone wanted to come after one of us."  
"So you think this Harold bloke came after you to finish what he   
started?" Monterey asked as the timer went off.  
"I know it was him," Chip said, waiting patiently as the doctor came   
back to unhook him. He gratefully accepted the cup of fruit juice the doctor  
handed him just before rushing out with the bag of blood. "In fact," he  
continued between sips of juice, "he left behind his ring to make sure I knew  
it was him."  
Everyone remained quiet for a few moments, letting this information sink  
in. "He's going to be ok," the doctor announced, coming back into the room.  
Foxglove cried tears of relief, then sagged into Monterey's arms. Chip  
wiped away a few tears of his own as Monterey helped Foxglove back to the   
waiting room. "Can we see him?" he asked.  
"One at a time," the doctor cautioned. "He's still unconscious, so he  
won't even know you're there."  
"That's all right," Chip said, getting unsteadily to his feet. "Just  
lead the way."  
Gadget slipped an arm around his waist and helped support his weight as  
they headed to the room Dale rested in. "Try not to wake him," the doctor   
cautioned as he opened the door. "He really needs his rest."  
Chip nodded as he limped into the room. One look at Dale nearly made   
him fall to his knees. Almost every part of his body was covered in bandages  
or casts. The only parts of him visible were one eye, his nose, and his tuft  
of hair. Two IVs were in his arm, one for Chip's blood and the other for a  
combination nutrient and painkiller. "Oh Dale, I'm so sorry," Chip whispered,   
shuffling over to the side of the bed. "I wasn't there to protect you. Some   
big brother I turned out to be.  
"I may not have been there then," he said, clenching one fist slowly,  
"but I'll make up for it. I swear to you little brother, I'll get him for   
this." Chip took a moment to ruffle Dale's hair, like he hasn't done in so  
many years, before turning on his heel and storming outside.  
Chip almost ran by the others as he left the room, his determination   
more than making up for the weakness suffered from donating his blood.   
Foxglove rushed into the room to be by her beloved's side, taking his hand  
gently in hers and offering what comfort she could while fighting off the   
dizzy spells which threatened to overtake her.  
Gadget, on the other hand, ran after Chip, getting in front of him and  
making him stop. "You're going after Harold," she said as a statement of  
fact, not a question.   
Chip's face seemed as cold and lifeless as stone, and Gadget couldn't  
help the shiver that ran up her spine. "I have to Gadget."  
"Then I'm going with you. You're in no condition to face this guy by  
yourself."  
"No!" Chip barked, making Gadget flinch. "Gadget," he continued, his  
eyes and voice pleading with her, "I almost lost one of the two most important  
animals in my life today. I don't want to give him any chance at the other."  
Gadget opened her mouth to protest, but she was silenced by Chip drawing  
her into his arms and kissing her like he had never kissed her before. It was  
as if she could feel each of his emotions as her own, and the whirlwind of   
worry, fear, and determination hit her like a physical blow. By the time she  
recovered, she found herself slumped on her knees, watching Chip hurry away.  
"Chip," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears as she reached out a hand  
toward his retreating form as if she could somehow grab hold of him.  
It was nearly an hour later before Chip made it back to the site in   
Central Park where Dale had been attacked. The streetlights shone harshly on  
the area, highlighting the patches of bloodstained dirt in sharp black. Chip  
took a deep breath and began to methodically search the area, looking for any  
clues that might lead him to his quarry.  
A half hour passed and the only thing Chip found was himself exhausted.  
"There has to be something," he muttered. He pulled the ring from his pocket  
and glared at it. "Where are you?"  
Then he noticed some writing on the inside of the ring. It was the   
words "If found, return here" followed by a nearby address. "It can't be that  
simple," Chip realized. But, with no other leads, Chip had no choice but to  
head to the address, feeling all the time like he was walking into a trap.  
The building was abandoned, that much was obvious from the outside.   
Well, abandoned by humans perhaps. But Chip knew any "abandoned" building   
often became a place of residence for rodents and other small animals with  
nowhere else to go. And yet, as Chip found his way inside, he saw no sign  
that anyone else was there.   
Chip was on edge and he knew it. Every noise made him jump, every   
flickering shadow made him start. But the building truly was empty; he was  
the only living soul within its walls. "I knew it was too easy," he said  
aloud, trying to shake off his jitters. But the way his voice echoed in the  
empty room did just the opposite.  
As he forced open another door, a piece of paper fluttered down to him  
from where it had been stuck in a hinge. "Try again gumshoe," Chip read,   
recognizing the handwriting at once. In a fit of frustration Chip tore the  
paper up, throwing the pieces in the air with a yell.  
Chip pressed his hands to his face to try and force himself to calm   
down. When he'd calmed down enough, he took a slow, deep breath and lowered  
his hands. That's when he saw it, some kind of faint design on one of the   
ripped pieces of paper. Chip quickly gathered all the pieces together and   
turned them reverse-side up. He could tell it was a watermark of some kind,  
but there was no way of knowing what it was without reassembling it. "Thanks  
for the love of puzzles, Mom," he mumbled, beginning the painstaking task of  
solving this riddle.  
It only took him fifteen minutes to solve enough of it to recognize the  
watermark. "Only one store in Manhattan sells this kind of paper," Chip  
realized with a smirk. He shot out of that building and took off at full   
speed, wishing that he'd thought to bring the Ranger Wing with him but not  
wanting to strand the others at the hospital.  
And at the hospital, something was about to happen that would've sent  
Chip's spirits soaring. As Foxglove stood by Dale's side, holding his hand  
as she silently willed him to awaken, she gasped in surprise and happiness   
when she felt his fingers curl around hers. "Sweetie?" she whispered  
anxiously, stroking his head softly.  
"Foxy," Dale rasped out, sounding like his throat was lined with  
sandpaper. "Where.... What...."  
"Shh," she whispered, kissing his forehead softly. "Just rest."  
Dale nodded and closed his eyes, drifting back off to sleep. Foxglove  
sighed in relief, bringing his fingers up to her lips and kissing them gently.  
"Rest well, my love."  
Outside in the waiting room, Gadget was wearing a hole in the floor with  
all her pacing. "Gadget luv," Monterey said as she paced past him for the   
twentieth time, "I know you're worried about Dale and all, but you're making  
me jumpier than a herd of kangaroos."  
"It's not just Dale I'm worried about," Gadget said, starting her   
twenty-first lap of the room. "Chip took off after this Harold guy and there  
isn't a thing I can do. I don't even know where to start looking!"  
Zipper chattered animatedly to Monterey, his arms waving wildly. "Too  
right Zipper," Monterey agreed. "They always say the criminal returns to the  
scene of the crime."  
"Oh Monty, you've been watching too much TV again," Gadget said  
irritably.  
"Do you have any better ideas?"  
"Well...."  
"And do you think Chip did? So where would he begin looking?"  
Gadget's eyes lit up. "Thanks you two," she said, rushing out, nearly   
running over a rather pretty squirrel nurse on her way. "I'll leave the   
Ranger Wing here with you guys in case you need to get to us quick."  
Monterey had just settled more comfortably into his seat when Gadget  
poked her head back in. "But should I really go with Dale--"  
"Gadget," Monterey cut her off, "Dale will be fine. Chipper's the one  
who needs ya right now." Gadget nodded again and disappeared out the door.  
Monterey kept one eye trained on the door until he was sure Gadget had really  
gone. "Nice girl," he commented, "but she really needs to do something about  
her indecision problem."  
One rodent who wasn't suffering from indecision this night was closing  
in on his opponent. Chip's deduction had been right on the money. Harold was  
using the stationery store as a hideout, and he was just packing up to get out  
of town. Little did he know that he was found out.  
Chip picked his way down from the vent he'd crawled in through, making  
sure to stay out of the light so that his shadow didn't give him away. But in  
the darkness, he couldn't see where he was going. He jumped down to a stack   
of papers that he thought were securely on the shelf only to have them go   
flying out from underneath him, sending him sprawling to the floor.  
Chip quickly shook out the cobwebs and scrambled to his feet. Harold   
strode calmly up to him and stared down at him with a smirk. "Long time no   
see Chip," he said sarcastically. "You'd think you didn't like me or   
something.  
Chip looked up at the tall mouse and tried not to show any fear. This  
guy was even taller than Monterey Jack, and more solidly built. "Give it up  
Harold," Chip said bravely. "Just turn yourself in."  
Harold laughed darkly. "You want me to turn myself in? City life musta  
done more to your brain than I realized. The only way I'd ever turn myself in  
willingly is if you beat me in a fight."  
"I accept your terms," Chip said, and that obviously surprised Harold.  
"But you have to give me your word."  
Harold grabbed Chip by the back of his jacket and hauled him up face-to-  
face. "Who do you think you are?" he growled out.   
Chip stared back without flinching. "Do I have it or not?"  
Harold glared at him a moment or two more before smirking again and   
dropping him. "Yeah, sure. You have my word. Not that it matters."  
Chip brushed himself off and stared up at Harold. "Right here, right  
now?"  
Harold just shook his head. "Oh no, I choose the place, and I choose  
the same place I beat up your brother. That way both your blood can stain the  
dirt."  
Chip used all his restraint not to punch Harold right there. "Thirty  
minutes," he said, turning his back. "Don't be late." Without waiting for an  
answer, Chip took off and never looked back.  
Exactly thirty minutes later, both Chip and Harold arrive at the patch  
of dirt still stained with Dale's blood. "We don't have to do this you know,"  
Harold said seriously. "I don't like fighting someone twice over the same   
thing."  
"You should've thought of that before you put my brother in the   
hospital," Chip snapped. "Now it's personal for me."  
Harold just shrugged and dropped back into a fighting stance. Chip   
copied his stance, but it was obvious even to him that it was uncomfortable  
for him. They slowly circled each other, each looking for an opening they  
could use to end this fight early.  
No sooner had they charged each other than Gadget emerged from some  
high grass off to the side. She stared, horrified, as their scuffle kicked  
up a cloud of dust, blocking them from her sight. "Chip!" she yelled,  
edging closer to the clearing.  
When the dust settled, Harold had Chip off the ground in a choke hold.  
"I really don't want to hurt you," he said, trying to apply more pressure.  
"Just give it up!"  
Chip couldn't answer with his voice, so he kicked him in the knee,   
freeing him from the choke. Another dust cloud was kicked up, only when this  
one cleared it was Chip with the advantage. "Maybe you should give it up,"  
Chip said, cinching in the hammerlock tighter.  
Harold tried to grab Chip and throw him off, but Chip was so small he  
couldn't find a grip. But he did connect with a vicious back elbow that sent  
Chip reeling.   
"Stop it!" Gadget screamed as another cloud of dust formed. "Please,  
just stop it!" When this one cleared, both Chip and Harold were lying flat on  
their backs. Gadget ran over to Chip as he rolled to his stomach and pushed   
up to his hands and knees. "Are you all right Chip?" she asked, helping him  
up to his feet.  
Chip nodded and wiped a trickle of blood from his lip. "I'm fine," he   
said, but then his eyes snapped to Harold as the mouse began to move. He   
wearily pushed Gadget behind him and resumed his fighting stance.   
Gadget wrapped her arms around Chip from behind, trying to pull him away  
as Harold struggled to his feet. He fixed Chip with a confused stare, but   
then his eyes cleared and focused. "I was out then?" he asked between hard  
breaths.  
"Not long, but you were," Chip said, still in his stance despite the  
best attempts by Gadget to pull him away.   
Harold sighed and punched a nearby root. "I gave my word, so I'll turn  
myself in. Another time, gumshoe."  
"Can we trust him?" Gadget asked, dumbfounded as she watched Harold   
walk away.   
"For all that he's a bully, he's always kept his word," Chip said,   
lowering his hands. "I don't pretend to understand his honor system, I just  
know he has one."  
Gadget shook her head as she slipped Chip's arm around her shoulders.  
"You're not hiding any other secrets from us, are you?" she asked half-joking  
and half-serious.  
"Ask me after I can remember them," Chip said with a chuckle as they   
walked slowly off.  
Early the next morning, Dale opened his eyes and tried to sit up. The  
intense pain he felt made him reconsider though and he laid back down with an  
exclamation of relief.  
Foxglove was at his side in an instant. "Dale?" she whispered, checking  
him over. "How are you feeling?"  
"Like I was on the wrong end of a steamroller," Dale joked, wincing as   
he laughed. "Still, I have to say I much prefer seeing your face when I wake  
up instead of Chip's."  
"Is that so?" Chip asked in a huff as he and the others came into the  
room. He had some bumps and bruises, but nothing near what Dale had. "And   
this after I beat up Harold for you?"  
"You beat him up?" Dale asked, his eyes widening incredulously.  
"Knocked him clean out," Gadget said with a half-smile. "Of course, I  
don't like the fact that he fought at all, but I'm just glad he's all right.  
But if he tries it again...." Gadget let her threat hang unfinished, though  
she did tighten her grip on Chip's injured elbow.  
Chip winced and nodded quickly, getting a laugh from everyone. "Well,  
what did you expect?" Chip asked with an air of wounded pride. "I had to  
teach him not to mess with my little brother."  
Dale's jaw dropped open. "Chip!" he yelled, grabbing his side to   
massage the pain away.  
"It's all right Dale. They know. Besides," Chip added, looking around  
at the Rangers, "I missed you being my little brother."  
"And I missed you being my big brother Chip," Dale said, letting a   
single tear fall.   
"As touching as this is," the doctor said, poking his head in, "Dale  
still needs his rest. You guys can come back later."  
Chip nodded as he led the others out, except for Foxglove who had   
crawled into the bed next to Dale and held him gently. As he closed the door,  
he made a sign with one hand. He waited just long enough for Dale to give the  
sign back before walking away. It was just their way of acknowledging their  
brotherhood without words, but it was the last time they would ever need to  
use it for as long as they lived. 


End file.
